Final Fantasy VII Alternate - Demon's Gate
by WantedGeek
Summary: Imagine an alternate reality where Aerith still remained among the living: Set a few months after Advent Children - Cloud's sudden disappearence takes it's toll on Aerith...even more so when he returns. Has Cloud faced his Demons? And how will Aerith fare when she faces hers and an old enemy returns? Read on to find out... (This is actually an alternate re-write of 'Demon's Gate')


**((Author's Note: This story is set after Advent Children, and is based on the alternate idea that Tifa died instead of Aerith. Aerith power!))**

**Demons Gate**

_**Chapter 1: Nightmares**_

_**~Somewhere in Cloud Strife's nightmare's~**_

_Drip, drip, drip goes the blade of the knife…the blade of the knife is wreathed in blood._

_The Demons lips twist into an evil inane grin as he stares down in triumph at her lifeless body, a crimson fluid now draining her of colour. Her soul leaving her._

"_Cloud…I-it's too late …remember…a rough blade and a p-pure heart will cleanse the d-demons." Those were Aerith's last words before she stopped breathing and the emerald turned a dull hue in her eyes._

Aerith listened to the pitter patter of rain fall on the roof of her home in Edge – she lived in a large cottage that was home on the 1st and second floors, and her beloved flower shop on the ground floor.

The brunette sighed deeply.

How much longer could she wait? This was getting unbearable now – She would follow the same routine every night, staring out the window at the back gate, willing it to open and reveal what, or rather who she had been waiting for.

Cloud, her dear friend, and the man she not-so-secretly loved had been gone for some time now; he had left a week after the Kudaj incident, only leaving a note addressed to Aerith, Denzel and Marlene explaining how he had to 'find' himself.

She sighed knowing that she couldn't have done anything to stop him, she never could, but how could she? He never gave her the chance.

Aerith took much dismay in telling Denzel and Marlene that he had left and didn't know when he'd be back yet again. She had struggled to do this without sounding angry and calling him exactly what she was thinking at the time, _selfish._ They took it better than she had expected, _probably because they were so used to it…_ she thought.

It had been a month, and it started to grate on her. No phone calls, no messages, no nothing. _Does he even care? _She often thought._ What must Denzel and Marlene be thinking of him?_

They of course in their innocence just missed Cloud and kept asking when he'd be back. Aerith didn't have the heart to tell them she didn't even know if he was still alive. She would always just force a smile and tell them that he would be back soon. "Everything will be ok." She reassured with another smile. She even believed that herself for a while. But after trying many attempts to contact him herself there had still been no word at all and she started to think the worst. Anger turned into depression, depression turned into guilt, guilt turned into suffering, but even with all these emotions going on inside her head, ever humble and loving Aerith still put on a brave front for everyone. She couldn't worry the kids and her friends; it wasn't fair on them to have to deal with one loved one missing and the other one in deep depression.

_**Chapter 2: Alone**_

The days went by in a blur for Aerith.

One day she had returned home after a long and hard day at the flower shop.

She had been rather irritable the past few weeks and it was starting to get noticeable to even Denzel and Marlene. They had made a habit of staying out of the way when Aerith was like this.

The ex-flower girl, now florist owner was all for understanding and giving Cloud his space, but after almost 2 months with still no contact she had enough.

She had decided enough was enough, and Aerith set out to get in contact with Vincent to come and look after Denzel and Marlene, so she could try and look for Cloud.

Ever faithful Vincent had of course agreed and assured her that he could be over the following week if she needed him.

Two days before she was planning on leaving, she had put Denzel and Marlene to bed and had moved to her bedroom ready to tuck herself in to the world of sleep, or in Aerith's case a world of nightmares…

_Not that I can sleep anyway…_She thought to herself as she pondered the prospect of sleep. She brushed her long auburn hair solemnly staring into the mirror at the shell of sadness she had become. She was afraid to find out that her worst thoughts about Cloud were true…that the reason they hadn't heard from him in so long was because he was simply…dead. These thoughts were interrupted by the distant ring of the telephone. Her heart skipped a beat, 

…_What if it's him!_

Without another thought Aerith immediately sprung up out of her dressing table chair and ran to the phone at lightning speed. Still with the brush in her hand and her heart pounding, without hesitation she picked up the phone.

"Cloud!" She blurted. She froze to the spot and her heart pounded even faster as a soft familiar voice responded.

"I'm ok, please don't look for me. I…I'm sorry."

It was of course Cloud who had instantly hung up after he had uttered the hurtful yet strangely reassuring words.

Aerith fell to her knees, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore and they filled her eyes to create two deep pools of Emerald that flooded without fail. Aerith's tears were a mixture of all the hurt, confusion and anger she had built up over the last month or so and… something else…a glimmer of happiness? Because all typical Aerith could think of at that moment… _He's ok, thank goodness he's ok._

_**Chapter 3: A ghost**_

Three months passed and Aerith had been slightly more freed of her depression knowing Cloud was ok…now she had just joined Denzel and Marlene in their emotions and was just missing him more and more each passing day.

Another few days passed and she half expected another reassuring call or message to be left, but nothing came...

After the phone call from Cloud, she had told Vincent about it and made the decision that she would listen to Cloud and leave him be at least for the time being.

Instead she rearranged for Barrett, Vincent and Yuffie to take Denzel and Marlene away to the Costa Del Sol for a week to which he happily obliged.

Barrett and the others tried to convince Aerith to come along as well, but with Cloud not being there to take care of her flower shop and no other friends being available to stand in for her, she couldn't afford to lose out on the business. And if she was honest, she just wasn't in the mood for a holiday with her spirits so low.

With all the pent up feelings going on at home and still no sign of Cloud, Aerith thought that a week away for the kids was just what they needed.

That evening, Barrett had arrived to pick up Denzel and Marlene to which they were very excited. They had an early start tomorrow morning, so it went without saying that they would need to stay with Barrett before meeting the others and travelling up to the Costa Del Sol.

"We'll miss you Aerry!" Marlene blurted as she wrapped her arms around Aerith's neck.

The brunette returned the little girls embrace and smiled. It was the first genuine smile she had let befall her lips for weeks. "I'll miss you both too Marlene, but it's only for a week. We'll be together again before you know it!" She beamed, reaching a hand out to pat Denzel comfortingly on the head. Denzel smiled bashfully, it was funny – he reminded her so much of Cloud.

"Ya sure you won't come lil' lady?" Barrett asked hopefully.

"I'm very sorry Barrett, I really can't." She shook her head, still with a gentle smile on her face. "I'm sure you'll manage to have fun without me!" She giggled.

"Ah shoot…well if that's the way ya want it... Any trouble, ya call me, got it?" Barrett boomed protectively.

"Of course. You know I will Barrett." Aerith nodded, still a solemn smile on her face. Although she had chirped up a bit seeing her friend, the sadness was still visible in her eyes. She looked tired, very tired.

Barrett frowned noticing such a change in Aerith's attitude. "Hey…" Barrett placed his hand on Aerith's shoulder comfortingly. "…Spikey's gonna come to his senses real soon. That %&*"in' spikey head of his is tough ya know?" He grinned, trying his best to cheer her up.

Aerith couldn't help but smile, he was trying so hard. "Thank you Barrett…"

With that, Aerith said her goodbyes and spent the evening watching out the window again, willing that gate to open.

She had been gazing out of the window for an hour before a sudden loud bang in the flower shop below snapped Aerith out of her trance.

She gasped alarmed as she instinctively manifested her staff to her hand and darted down stairs to the shop floor.

Aerith quickly thrust the door to the floristry open and in the instant her eyes met the source of the noise, she was frozen to the spot.

She tried to speak as she looked at the man she had been worrying about, been angry at, and longing to be in the presence of for all this time in disbelief… She saw nothing but red.

"Aer-" Cloud started, but before he could even finish her name, she had jumped over the counter in a fit of rage and hit him hard, very hard – first in the chest, then in the stomach, and she wasn't stopping there.

Cloud somehow managed to grab hold of the female's quick wrists after a few fairly deserving blows.

Aerith struggled to free herself to continue punishing him for making everyone suffer- for making her suffer, but she didn't have the energy any more. She snatched her wrists away and the emerald tears took her again.

"You deserve more than that Cloud Strife! So much more! But I just…don't have any more anger left... Where have you been?" Aerith sobbed turning her face away from Clouds form, unable to look at him.

"…Aerith…" Cloud uttered. "…I know, you're right. I do deserve a lot more of a beating than that and I'm sure I have yet to receive more from the kids and the others too. I'm so sorry." Cloud pleaded trying to peer into her now swimming eyes and trying to hide his grimaces at the bruises she had just given him.

"You're sorry?" She laughed through her now subsiding tears. "Cloud, you still haven't answered me- where have you been for so long? Three months to 'find yourself'? You know I 'm happy to give you space as goodness knows you need plenty of it! But did you even think about us for more than five minutes before that phone call! I know you've been depressed lately, but I thought it was the Geostigma that had you down before and…Tifa's death. But you didn't even mention either of those reasons and your Geostigma is cured, so I don't know what has you needing to find yourself… I helped you find yourself in the life-stream two years ago or have you forgotten that!" Aerith bellowed through gritted teeth, anger had taken her now.

"I- I had to get away from you." Cloud blurted looking away from Aerith, now he was unable to look at her for his shame.

"Wow…that makes me feel so much better." Aerith retorted sarcastically, taken aback by the comment. "But why?" She snapped, less angry and more hurt this time.

Cloud raised his hazy cerulean gaze from the floor to lay level with hers and frowned; he had never seen her this upset the whole time he had known her… and it killed him.

"Because I didn't want you, Denzel and Marlene to get hurt...I-You mean everything to me." Cloud replied, his eyes filled with sadness.

"Cloud…" Aerith's hurt and angry exterior had softened at his words. _How could I be so selfish. _Typical Aerith was back. "Why would you think that we would get hurt?"

Cloud hesitated, battling with his heart and his head…

_Should I tell her? It would be cruel of me to just make something up…but I don't want to scare her, or the kids…I know, I'll take her to Nieblhiem and explain. She'll understand... _

"Come with me." Cloud walked over to Aerith and grabbed her hand leading her outside towards Fenrir._ Oh crap! We can't just leave Denzel and Marlene! _Cloud thought as he stopped abruptly in his tracks and shook his head in his hand. "Where are the kids?" He asked, sudden panic hitting him.

"They're with Barrett, Yuffie and Vincent on vacation for a week in the Costa Del Sol…I thought they could do with a break what with…well everything..." Aerith replied.

"Aerith…" Cloud took her hand to his chest and held it tighter.

_But what about you. You need a break too…_

A slight, but genuine smile was his response. It was so hard for Aerith to be angry at Cloud when he was being so…different. What was he being anyway? Affectionate? His eyes seemed to be swimming with emotion, she could see he was hurting too…like he didn't have a choice but to leave? "Cloud, where are we going?"

"Jump on." He said as he prepared his motorbike Fenrir and started the engine. "I need to take you somewhere and explain."

Aerith looked into his eyes questioningly, but did as she was told and they raced off together leaving a trail of dust engulfing the path out of Edge behind them.

_**Chapter 4: Rain clouds**_

Aerith gazed at Clouds stern face as she held on tightly behind him and they sped away from the city of Edge. She would have preferred a proper embrace and welcome with Cloud, but given the circumstances (and the fact that Aerith's idea of a proper welcome may have scared his shy self away) this would do.

_I wonder where we're going? Oh I don't care…I'm just so glad he's here. _Aerith smiled as she rested her head on the middle of this back and held him tighter.

Cloud's heart somersaulted at this.

_I thought she was angry with me? Could she really have forgiven me that easily? Aerith…I don't deserve to even know you and I'm so lucky you're here. _He felt himself lean back slightly as he relaxed into her embrace. Aerith seemed to notice this as well and he felt her nuzzle her head deeper into his back.

Aerith sighed and hoped that this afternoon bike ride would never end.

Suddenly, she felt Cloud's body tense. "Cloud? What's wrong?" She barely had enough time to ask the question when Cloud had activated his sword compartment and grabbed his Ultima sword with great haste.

"Something doesn't feel right…this isn't the right way- I was definitely driving the right way..." Cloud muttered with a suspicious tone in his voice and brought Fenrir to a screeching halt.

Aerith fell forward into Cloud's back with an 'Oof' at this emergency stop and looked around confused at their surroundings.

"Well… I don't recognise this place and we've been pretty much all over Gaia… Where are we?...Also, it was light when we left, but we've only been on the road for 30minutes." Aerith realised as she slid off of Fenrir and seemed to check the texture of the ground by bouncing lightly from left and right on the balls of her feet.

"Aerith, we need to go back. Jump back on." Cloud delegated holding his sword free hand out to Aerith.

"You're right-" Aerith began, reaching her hand out to meet Cloud's. "AHHHH!" He screamed as she was hurtled seven feet into the air and thrown backwards at an alarming speed by a powerful, and seemingly invisible force.

"Aerith, no!" Cloud instantly exclaimed as he stretched to reach out for her hand to save her, but it was all too fast and too late.

He started to sprint to where she had landed, but he just seemed to keep running on the spot not actually moving anywhere. This was just like the nightmares he had been plagued with the long nights before he decided to leave Edge three months ago.

Aerith watched through dazed eyes as the distant form of Cloud faded and it all went black.

_**Chapter 5: Searching through the dark**_

"Cloud!" Aerith awoke abruptly from unconsciousness and groaned at a searing pain that appeared to be shooting through her left leg.

She gazed down at it through blurry, darkened vision and noticed that it was lying at an unusual angle.

She smelt blood.

As she attempted to push herself upright, even more nauseating pain shot through her injured leg- the realisation that she'd broken it came to her and she fell back to the floor with a thud.

"No…I have to find Cloud!" She winced, not wanting to give up and sat up abruptly scanning the area around her, remembering not to put weight on her left leg. She was surrounded by rubble and a vast blackness.

Dotted around the cavern she appeared to be in, there were a few large flammable torches breaking through spots in the thick dark air.

_I'm in a cave? _She thought.

Looking ahead of her she saw one tunnel with a small fraction of light in the distance. "CLOUD!" She shouted this time. _What happened to him...what happened to me? I remember something or someone attacking me... then nothing. _

She waited a moment hoping that Cloud was off scouting the area nearby and that he was the one who had brought her here to let her rest. Five minutes more and there was still no sign of Cloud._ Cloud didn't bring me here... and I'm sure not going to wait and find out who did!_

With that Aerith shifted herself to what she had hoped was the far wall of the cave; not being disappointed in this hope, she lifted herself up and lent against the wall putting her weight on her right leg to avoid causing herself anymore discomfort. _Okay, so I can stand up... now I just need to try and find Cloud and get out of here with no medicine, a broken leg and no knowledge of where I am. _

"Piece of cake." She sighed aloud. _I just need something to prop me up so I can walk. _She thought searching the area with her gaze_. _

"Of course!" She exclaimed excitedlyclicking her fingers with pleasure at the realisation she had just made.

In a split second she manifested her staff into her hand and pushed herself up to standing again. "How could I forget about that?"

_That was a little too easy. I better be careful. _She pondered straightening herself up.

_Now, to find Cloud._

_**Chapter 6: A pure heart**_

It took Aerith longer than a lot normal just to arrive at the source of the light she had seen emitting at the end of the tunnel in the cavern she had been abandoned in; she hadn't really thought about how hard this was going to be, but didn't want to let despair or fear get the better of her right now.

The source of the light itself had turned out to be coming from many torches placed in a square tomb that had a strange looking altar in the middle of it and even stranger markings on the walls. She looked them over to see if she could make any sense of them, but it was all foreign to her – This wasn't even an ancient Cetra language.

_Well this is just a dead end. This can't be right...there's no where else to go. Am I...trapped? _Aerith gulped as she started to panic and she prayed that she had not been left alone.

The brunette noticed a glint of light coming from behind the altar- she squinted to gain a sharper focus and spotted something large and...sharp.

_Cloud's buster sword! _

"Cloud! Please be ok...don't leave me all alone." She dropped to her right knee, leaning the rest of her weight on her staff.

Suddenly, Aerith jumped as she heard movement behind her. She scrambled up as quickly as she could. "W-Who's there?" She stuttered quickly looking around her in all directions. Her gaze settled on the far wall...she could make out something getting clearer and clearer...a human form? She realised then that a section of the wall seemed to be slowly melting away to reveal...

"Cloud!" She shouted and started to limp towards him as quickly as she could. "Are you ok?"

"Aerith..." An unnerving voice and scarily familiar voice echoed in the tomb.

_Wait. _

She had moved very quickly at the sight of cloud and was only a metre away from the wall that seemed to be encasing him when she stopped abruptly_. _

_That doesn't sound like Cloud...but he's right there... _

She moved her gaze to examine him better- his mouth and body didn't appear to be moving at all, like he was frozen to the spot, but he was conscious that was certain.

His eyes seemed to be the only thing that he could move. Aerith could see a fear in his cerulean eyes- they were pleading with her.

Cloud was screaming inside his head. _Run Aerith! Please run! Don't you touch her! _

"Oh, but Cloud, you're far too late to save her now. I will harm her and you will watch!" An evil demonic voice bellowed around the whole of the cavern.

"What…? Who are you?" Aerith demanded and attempted to back away from the wall, but it was too late. Cloud watched in horror as in a split second, Aerith's staff disappeared into thin air.

She gasped and her eyes widened as she started to fall to the ground, the staff having been her only support at the time, and two large yellow claws attached to a crimson demonic beast emerged from the wall beside him and grabbed Aerith pinning her arms and back said wall.

"Arghhh! Let me go!" She yelled trying to break free with all the force she could muster screaming from the pain of being forced to use her broken leg.

_Aerith!_ Cloud screamed in his head wanting to let the scream escape his lips so badly. He was trying so hard to fight his way free and save her that it ached.

_Let her go! Take me instead!_

"You? I do not need you boy...I need her blood...pure innocent, Cetra blood..." The demon laughed as he was easily keeping hold of Aerith. She felt helpless.

"Blood? My Blood?!" She exclaimed still trying to break from the demons clutches.

Cloud still couldn't speak so she couldn't hear his part of the conversation, but she had assumed it was her blood being referred to since she was the only female in the room being pinned down by a vicious evil monster.

"Why do you need my blood?" She demanded.

"Because girl...I need to walk free and taste real fear again. I will suck the soul from this planet dry, and to revitalise me again it will require me to drink the innocent blood that pumps through the purest heart. I have found that in you." The demon grinned inanely.

Aerith tried to fight harder as she stretched her vision to attempt eye contact with Cloud.

She could see now that he was shaking, fighting with his mind to let him move. The demon had obviously cast a spell on him making him petrified.

"I have been searching for someone like you for a long time Aerith Gainborough...I first saw you in the temple of the ancients two years ago...so pure, and the only living mortal to carry Cetra blood… and even after two years your heart still remains intact. You are truly resistant. You thought you had killed me back then...but I simply moved through the wall to a different tomb and ended up here. All I had to do was get you here... this is where I had to put a plan together, and in my plan Cloud Strife, the dear boy, played his part well. Although I cannot physically move my body from stone, I can travel through different cavern walls, so after much searching luck would have it that I spy Cloud Strife camping out in a cave for the night four months ago. This was my perfect opportunity. Knowing his feelings for you and how he would react, I planted visions of your death in his head and plagued his sleep with re-occurring nightmares. As expected, he came here looking for me two months ago to find out if his nightmares were true and to kill me… but I hid! Keheheheee!" The demon cackled at this narration of his evil plan. "And I lured him to my wall by encasing some special Materia in it, very accessible and just at arms reach you know...I knew he couldn't resist. I disguised the Materia as Ultima, knowing that this would get his attention and would entice him to take it for his own… I was not disappointed!" The demon spat at Cloud still smiling insanely. "This Materia was not however what it seemed- it was simply a shell for some magic that would bring you here at the right time. And the time I chose was your lovely little reunion! The magic then activated like a ticking time bomb and it was inevitable that your paths would lead you close enough to this cave so that I could attack you and lure you here. And now here we are! All according to plan" A roar of laughter filled the room and echoed in Aerith's and Cloud's ears.

Cloud's insides were tearing him apart with frustration now. The anger surging through him had only managed an uncontrollable shake beneath his exterior and he still couldn't move no matter how hard he tried...he couldn't do anything. He looked at Aerith- she was still trying to fight it, trying any movement that may let her slip free from the demons grasp...but it was no use. It was useless, she couldn't even manifest her staff.

_I don't Care what happens to me. Just please let Cloud be safe._ Typical Aerith again.

"Now enough of this, I mustn't play with my food. It is time for me to be free again!" The demon spat and span Aerith around so that she had no choice but to face the demon who had her wrists in a firm grip.

She tried to fight to get away even harder, but it was still no use.

_He's too strong._

The demon started to materialise something small out of thin air to the left of the wall within it's reach- it was slowly coming into existence what ever it was.

Aerith shifted her tired gaze to Cloud's once more, she could see him clearly now, he had a raw pain and frustration in his eyes.

Aerith wept slowly and smiled as she looked into his eyes. "It ok, I don't blame you. It's not your fault." She said aloud.

Cloud tried to reply, _No Aerith! Don't give up! Please don't give up! This isn't the end!_

"Yes, it is." The demon cackled as he grabbed the blade that he had materialised from beside him and drove it into Aerith's chest causing her to scream aloud in agony. With that she was immediately stumbled backwards and landed onto the altar behind her.

_**Chapter 7: A Rough Blade**_

_NO! _Cloud cried in his head.

"Well I think I'll let you talk now and entertain me some more whilst I wait for enough blood to have drained from her body." The demons lips twisted in an insanely satisfied grin as he gazed at her lifeless form.

The demon let Cloud free of his restrictions and summoned him so that he too was hanging half way out of the wall beside the demon, beside his enemy- his hatred for the creature at its peak.

"Aerith!" Cloud screamed his arms restricted inside the wall too much to attack the demon or break free.

"C-Cloud..." Aerith whispered barely able to speak.

"Aerith? You're still alive!" Cloud exclaimed struggling from the walls impenetrable hold. "Hold on Aerith!"

"Enough of this! She will be dead soon, there is to be no holding on for any one! Time to silence you Cloud Strife, so that I can wait for my meal in piece!" The Demon bellowed angrily and clenched its fist- as he did so the wall around Cloud began to slowly close millimetre by millimetre with an intent to crush him alive.

"Arghhh! Aerith...I-" Cloud's mind slipped back into his nightmares as he felt the wall closing in on him painfully slowly.

He felt so helpless.

He glanced over at Aerith's broken form and noticed his sword. He felt a sudden flutter in his chest.

_Aerith's last words in my n-nightmare...s-she hasn't said them yet..' a rough blade and a pure heart will cleanse the demons.' Wait…Could that mean..._

Aerith was still awake and he vision was blurry. She could hear Cloud's cries and was able to see that he was being crushed. "N-no! Cloud...y-you've already got what you want...l-let him go!"

"What?" The demon answered in a chuckle, surprised that Aerith was still alive.

He ceased crushing Cloud for a moment.

"So, the mouse can talk eh? If all a little too quietly." He laughed amused at the situation before him.

"Aerith!" Cloud screamed now his lungs weren't being constricted. "A… rough blade and a pure heart will cleanse the demons!" He riddled.

The demons curiosity raised at sight of confusion on Aerith's face. "Don't be ridiculous, enough now! Time to die!" With that he resumed the crushing of Cloud.

"Cloud!" Aerith cried trying to stand... Hope was leaving her. She glanced around for any thing that might give hope back to her.

The realisation of Cloud's riddle had hit her- She saw the buster sword lying at her feet gleaming in the light of the torches as if it was smiling to her.

Still blurry eyed she proceeded to stand up with every last breath she had. She was determined to kill this demon, even if she was bleeding and dying in the process. She had to save Cloud, like he had done for her so many times before... it was her turn. She couldn't let a riddle be his last words, they had to be the words to save him.

She inwardly screamed as she forced herself through the pain and to her feet and to pick up the heavy sword with the strength that remained within her. There was a pool of crimson beneath her.

_How am I lifting this sword...It's like its giving me more strength..._ She thought as she bathed the blade of the sword in the blood...her blood.

Drawing her last ounce of energy from her rage, she ran with all her might at the Demon.

The demon hadn't noticed Aerith until she had started running and neither had Cloud who was almost completely consumed by the wall with very little breathing space. The demon halted the crushing in his shock.

"H-how? That's impossible!" He stuttered.

The demon tried to block the attack but it was too late, Without a word she slashed the wall repeatedly and pierced the demons chest in a heartbeat. He screamed in pain as the wall crumbled around him, freeing Cloud and he dissolved into the ruins with a blood curdling screech.

Aerith's shaking hands dropped the buster sword and stumbled backwards falling in exhaustion and pain, blood still leaving her slowly.

Cloud jumped forward and caught her just before she hit the ground.

_**Chapter 8: Journey's end**_

"Cloud..." She smiled as she reached up and cupped her hand on his cheek. "I knew you wouldn't leave me alone." Aerith's emerald orbs slowly closed as she lost consciousness.

"Aerith!" Cloud exclaimed, glancing down at her wound in horror which was still slowing loosing a lot of blood. He could no longer hold back his tears of anger and hurt "No, I won't loose you." Ignoring the pain from his own bruised and battered body, he picked her up and gripped her tightly against his torso running out of the cave as fast as he could.

Cloud arrived outside of the cave with Aerith held tightly in his arms and searched the horizon for traces of Fenrir.

He lay Aerith down gently on the ground beside the beast like vehicle.

He hurriedly searched his Materia compartment on his bike for every healing spell and potion he could find and started using them on Aerith one by one.

"Come on Aerith...it's not too late." Cloud whispered quietly. "You can do it, all you have to do is wake up. It's easy! If you can lift my buster sword you can do this...Please..." Cloud pleaded trying an Elixr in one hand and the Life Materia in the other.

_She's lost too much blood...I'm too late._

"No! You can't be dead Aerith! You can't leave me! Not now...not when I..." Cloud shook Aerith gently trying to stir her and lifted her up into an embrace.

"I'm so sorry..." Cloud softly uttered into her ear, tears now streaming down his hardened face.

_I love you, please come back._

"Cloud..." Aerith stirred in Clouds arms.

"Aerith!" Cloud brought Aerith at eye level to check that he hadn't gone insane from the sadness. "You're alive..." He muttered in disbelief. He took her hand in his and placed it once again on his cheek. "I thought I'd lost you."

"No you didn't...You saved me." She smiled and caressed his jaw line in return.

"You saved me more like! We would have both died in there if it wasn't for you." Cloud replied as he stared into Aerith's pools.

"Thank you." Aerith breathed as she leaned up and kissed Cloud softly on the cheek.

"W-what for?" Cloud asked, his heart beat quickening at her kiss.

"I do remember what that Demon said in there you know...I'm sorry for beating you up, and thank you for trying to save me and succeeding...again" Aerith replied laughing, the colour in her cheeks and skin returning.

Cloud stared at her beauty in awe, to him she had always been perfect, he was just too shy and scared of rejection to admit it.

_Even when she saves me she still thanks me. Aerith...I am blessed to have you and it's about time I showed you that._

Without hesitation Cloud lowered his lips gently onto Aerith's, causing her to gasp at his touch and unexpected action.

This only lasted for a second before she melted into the spine tingling kiss, running her hand through his blonde spikes to return his affection.

Neither of them wanted the moment to end.

They pulled away from the kiss, smiling emerald eyes staring into rare glowing cerulean ones.

"I love you Cloud." Aerith breathed still with her hands in the hair that she loved so much.

"I love you too Aerith." Cloud replied bringing her back into a tight embrace and kissing her forehead. "And I always will. I promise."

_For Aerith and Cloud, it is true that a rough blade and a pure heart will cleanse the demons..._


End file.
